Railways may soon start a system of reward and punishment for its employees depending on their performance. The proposal for the same came on Thursday from Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. The minister also suggested incorporating changes at the top-level to begin with which can be percolated down at the grassroots level to achieve better results. “If an organisation has to change, the change must begin at the top level and only then everybody will follow,” Prabhu said.

Prabhu was speaking at a round table conference on human resource management of Railways. “There should be reward for those who do well. We have to introduce it in the system to bring better performance to the fore and recognise the same. We also have to see how to punish those who do not perform well,” he said

Indian Railways has a workforce of 13 lakh people across 17 zones and 68 divisions across the country. Pushing the performance-reward approach, Prabhu said, “For example, if we are executing a project and somebody completes the project in a record time then the team implementing the project should be rewarded. Similarly if a person delays it and causes loss to the organisation, he should be penalised.”

Insisting that changes must be made in railways to improve its functioning, Prabhu said the Railways, as an organisation, must revisit and re-look itself to know whether it was on the right track and gear up for future. “A change can happen in railways when we realise where are the shortcomings,” he said.

The minister described the railways as the most ‘strategic asset’ of the country. “All our coaches are requisitioned for the movement of troops. Whether reaching our soldiers at the border or making trade and commerce in the run, or dispatching water to water-starved region, railways is needed.”

Boosting morale

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has proposed a system to boost the enthusiasm among the employees.

Employees who complete their work in due time are going to be rewarded.